The streets of Sinchon had emptied by the time Detective Choi Hyun-Soo drove Hana back to her dormitory. The usual clusters of students and couples had thinned, and the city's pulse slowed to a softer, quieter rhythm. Streetlights painted lonely circles of light on the damp asphalt.
Hana sat in the passenger seat, watching the city slide by.
She was quiet, but her thoughts raced. The conversation at dinner, the tension in Hyun-Soo's voice when he spoke of Busan, and that strange sense of unease that had followed her since crossing paths with Aryan Malhotra earlier that evening — it clung to her like mist.
Hyun-Soo finally spoke as they neared the dormitory.
"You should be careful, Hana."
She blinked, glancing at him. "About what?"
"Everything," he said, managing a faint smile that didn't reach his eyes. "There's a storm coming to this city. I can feel it. Stay sharp, alright?"
Hana offered a small, grateful nod. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me, Detective."
"Always do," he murmured as he pulled up in front of the dorm building.
She stepped out into the cool night air.
"Get some rest, kid."
"You too."
He watched her walk up the steps, waiting until she was inside before driving away.
Inside her dorm room, Hana tossed her bag onto the bed and let out a long breath. The room was dimly lit, posters curling at the edges, books scattered on the desk, and a tiny window showing the city lights beyond.
She glanced at her phone.
11:48 PM.
For a moment, she hesitated.
Then she hit the contact.
Unni.
The call connected almost instantly.
"Hana?" came a soft, weary voice on the other end.
"Yeah. Sorry — didn't mean to wake you."
"I wasn't sleeping," her sister sighed. "It's… noisy here tonight."
Hana frowned. "Noisy? What's happening in Busan?"
A brief, loaded silence.
"Just… things. This city's a mess lately."
Hana could hear it — not just fatigue, but fear layered beneath the words.
"You sound exhausted, Unni. Are you okay?"
"I'm managing. Don't worry about me. How's school? Seoul treating you alright?"
Hana hesitated. She wanted to say everything was fine — about the strange looks people gave at campus, the way Chae-Rin joked nervously about the headlines, how Detective Hyun-Soo's warning stuck to her ribs like a cold stone. But she held it back.
"Busy. But good," she said softly.
Another pause.
"Hana… listen. If anything strange happens around you — anything that feels wrong — promise me you'll leave it alone. Call Detective Hyun-Soo, okay?"
"Why? What's going on, Unni?"
"I just… promise me."
The edge of desperation in her voice unsettled Hana.
"I promise," Hana whispered.
On the other end, her sister let out a shaky breath. "Good. I'll call you soon. Stay safe, my brave girl."
"Unni… you too."
The call disconnected, leaving Hana in the quiet hum of her room.
She stood there for a moment, staring out at the Seoul skyline. In the distance, sirens wailed faintly, swallowed by the night.
Somewhere in that city, something terrible was moving.
And Hana could feel it in her bones.